I don't know how System actually works—I don't own one—but I am sure it works just the same like status windows in games. That means, all of the Heroes don't have to actually learn how to fight since they can purchase any Skill or Mastery they want.
I guess that's why Yūto's stance is perfect but too rigid. It is apparent that he has mastered whatever Combat Skill he has purchased, but I can tell it is not his yet; it feels like I am watching another person controlling his body.
"Well, I guess there is still a good thing in not being granted a System." Smirking, I take out two cheap daggers from my Spatial Storage. "Let's test the kid with these babies first."
The daggers I arm myself with were given by a good Orc blacksmith in Scentillion. They are by no means high quality daggers nor are they Relics to begin with.
It is extremely dangerous to fight a stronger opponent with such weapons, but I still want to test the water. I want to figure him out first before trading blows with him.
To do that, I intentionally leave my defense open. I also loosen my stance, so Yūto will be tempted to take the bait.
"Sukiari!" (You are wide open!)
Just like any other dumb people, Yūto takes it without even thinking. He missed, of course; I wouldn't dare to bait him if I knew he would still be able to hit me.
"Bakabakashii." (How ridiculous)
I am now right beside Yūto, so I am free to do anything I want to him. I know, however, my daggers will not be able to penetrate his skin, so I just kick him right in his stomach.
"Kuhak!"
Although I knew my kick is powerful enough to send him flying, I didn't expect it would be powerful enough to hurt him. Therefore, when I see him immediately gasping for air, I am pleasantly surprised.
Upon landing on the ground, Yūto immediately glares at me fiercer than before. There is shock evident in his eyes, but it is still overshadowed by his indignation.
I am honestly disappointed that I didn't get a power up from hitting him, but hoping him to hit me doesn't sit quite right with me, so I am satisfied with how the situation has developed.
"Omae... Dōyatte nihon-go wo hanaseru?!" (You... How can you speak Japanese?!)
(Well... I was a little bit of an otaku myself) "Maa... Ore wa ne, chotto otaku datta yo," I answer playfully.
"Isekai no Majin ga otaku datta to shinjirareru no ka?" (Do you think I will believe that a Demon from a parallel world was an otaku?)
(Don't get your panties in a twist, boy) "Awatesunna yo, bōzu." I wave my hand playfully. "Nihon-go wa anma muzukashikunai kara." (Japanese is not that hard to learn)
Gritting his teeth, Yūto eventually decided to stop talking to me. I am sure he is too flustered that the Demon he is fighting can speak his language.
I can sense baffled gazes from my two troop mates and the Elves watching us, but I don't let them bother me. I keep focusing on Yūto as I can see him preparing himself to attack, more careful than before.
Learning foreign languages is not uncommon in this world, so I don't have to be afraid they will uncover my identity as a summoned Earthling. Speaking to a grass-eating goat is normal here, so I bet speaking in a foreign language is not that mind-bogggling.
"Whatever it is... You will regret ever kicking me," Yūto mutters spitefully.
Shrugging nonchalantly, further irking him, I fortify my stance. I plan to take the attack head on this time so I can get some power up.
Activating my Origin: Pride, my already cringey ass became even more cringey. If the passive influence of my Origin gives me an extra confidence before, now it is making me think how sure my victory is.
That kind of optimism is good, but the fact that I have thoughts about how weak my opponent is makes me think I am just a jerk with an inflated ego.
Swish!
Dashing at me, Yūto holds his sword like he is going to hit a home run with it. That is extremely peculiar, but I don't underestimate that pose in the slightest since he is stronger than me.
Clank!
Shatter!
I am lucky that I didn't let my guard down even for a second; as soon as Yūto's sword hits my daggers, they immediately break to pieces. I am sent skidding to the back, and also almost got my arms severed.
"Hiyaa!"
My hands are already healed thanks to the power-up Pride has given me by this time, so I can swiftly take out another weapon from my Spatial Storage. Dodging to the side in time, I swing my cheap short sword at him.
DING!
I, unfortunately, can't land a hit on him since he managed to turn around just in time. My short sword clashes against his sword, and it surprisingly holds its ground quite well.
Shatter!
... At least, until Yūto suddenly discharges the highly compressed Mana in his sword.
My short sword breaks into pieces as I am sent flying to the air. The skin on my exposed hands is peeled off, and some of the flesh is completely blown away, revealing the bones underneath.
Arieda gasps in shock; blood colors my hand red. I am not even bothered by it. I can still feel pain, mind you, but compared to the pain I have felt, it is negligible. Besides, in the next second, the power-up heals it for me.
Thud!
"You have a very high regeneration speed, Demon," Yūto remarks as soon as I land on the ground.
(Don't make me laugh. You are just too weak!) "Warawaseruna. Kisama ga yowai dake da!" Is what my mouth blurts out.
Pissed, Yūto replies, "Kono kuso Majin me. Sakki kara chi wo dashite bakka na no ni—chōshi no noru na!" (This fucking Demon. You have been bleeding ever since we started our fight—don't get cocky!)
I haven't quite got the hang of Pride yet, so it is quite hard to control what I do under its influence. Luckily, my gap with Yūto is not that wide anymore, so I don't have to be afraid for my life for irking him that much.
Swish!
Dashing at him at the same time he dashes at me, I take out another cheap weapon from my Spatial Storage.
Yūto swings his sword with more vigour than before, so my cheap sword can only last a few seconds clashing against his sword even though I have reinforced it with my Mana.
It is actually a waste to use Reinforcement on such a cheap sword, but as long as I can further irk Yūto, it is worth it. Why do I want to irk him, you ask? It's simple: I don't want him to hold himself back.
I am not being cocky or overconfident. It is something that I need to make sure for Pride, my Origin, to work well.
When I use Pride, I will only get 10% of the power that my opponent displays each time I survive their attack. If my opponent decides to not give it his all, the power-ups I get will be not enough to make me match their power after surviving their tenth attack.
Because of that, I need to make sure Yūto doesn't have a part of his power sealed. I hate to see him having an episode of Deus Ex Machina because he has sealed some of his power in advance.
Clank!
"This doesn't make sense! What is this? Why... How are you getting stronger?!"
Fortunately, after my eighth clash with Yūto, I can finally say for sure, he is not going to have an episode of Deus Ex Machina. In other words, he doesn't have any of his power sealed.
By this point, although I am still not as strong as him, our gap is fairly negligible. Only our techniques and experiences will decide the winner; fortunately, I am better than him in both categories.
"That is very bold of you to assume that I was weaker than you." I laugh softly but disdainfully. "Why don't you think about it the other way? How are you so sure I wasn't playing with you?"
"Baka na! Omae wa ore yori yowai hazu dattanda!" (Impossible! I am sure you were supposed to be weaker than me!)
"Yo ni wa zutto shinjiru beki koto janai wa futatsu aru. Hitotsu, me ga miteiru koto; soshite futatsu, kokoro ga kanjiru koto." (There are two things you shouldn't always trust in this world. First, what your eyes see; and second, what your heart feels)
As Yūto's eyes turn bloodshot due to how much hate they are conveying, I kick him in his solar plexus. He immediately keels over, and gasps for air as he clutches his solar plexus.
I finally decided to take Rexorem out. I am going to end the fight here, and get the remaining power-ups by killing him.
As I channel my Mana into Rexorem, an overwhelming aura of terror that even surprises me fills the air. At this moment, I sense fear from the person in front of me for the first time.
I look down, and find him looking at me with glassy eyes. That is extremely pitiful to look at, but unfortunately, it is not enough to stop me from swinging Rexorem down.
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